Staff / Bill Baldowski
North Douglas Elementary School first-grader Makaylah Nichols captured third place in the Georgia Department of Transportation’s School Bus Safety Poster Contest, the first Douglas County student to take one of the top three places in the contest.

Even though she is just a first-grader at North Douglas Elementary School, Makaylah Nichols, has a knack for artistic creation that has made her the envy of the school, especially its art department.

However, the school art award she earned last year as one of North Douglas’ most gifted young artist has been overshadowed by an award she just received from the Georgia Department of Transportation that has made her the envy of not only her school and Douglas County but the state as well.

Makaylah, the daughter of William and Shamila Nichols of Douglasville, recently was notified she had taken third place this year in GDOT’s 2013 Georgia School Bus Safety Poster Contest.

As significant an individual honor as that was, it was made even more impressive when GDOT announced it was the first time a Douglas County student taking part in any GDOT artistic talent contest had finished in the top three in her division statewide.

By taking third place, Makaylah received $50 from the state for her efforts.

When asked what she had planned to do with the money, she said she was going to purchase a Barbie doll.

Even though she thought her artistic creation to illustrate the GDOT’s contest theme this year of, “At My Stop, You Stop,” was good and could win, Makaylah believes she has done other artwork in her school which was better.

“I have done better work but we had to do a poster that illustrated that theme,” she said as she worked on another art project.

“I thought it could win something,’ she said.

Makaylah’s classroom teacher, Heather Casey, and her art teacher, Jessica Meadows, agreed she works hard in class at whatever she is given to do.

“Whether it is a writing assignment or art work, Makaylah is always striving to do her best,” Casey said, adding she is one of her best students.

Casey said Makaylah is very clear in what she is communicating, no matter what she is doing at school.

Meadows said if artistic creation needed a poster child, Makalyah would be ideal.

“Art is an impression of an idea or an emotion and is a great outlet for creativity,” she said.

“Makalyah is very precise and clear in her artwork and listens to instructions very well and gives a lot of though to her artwork before she even starts,” Meadows said.

When she received word of the GDOT contest, Meadows said she announced it to her class and told her students that all were welcomed to participant as it was on a volunteer basis.

“At that point, Makaylah took out a piece of paper and began working on it,” she said.

When asked how long it took her to create the poster, Makaylah said she created it in one day.

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